The flashing fires, whichusually hurt my eyes, now
had a lulling effect. IfI ever marry, I hope it will be to a girl like Desire. I
walk down the avenue, for the gloomy groves are uncanny and theloneliness preys on
my spirits. I am the man that made the mostruns today!
Safely across the causeway, I enter the walled
compound of Parson Sea Foam. Throughout the grove boobies were squawking and dead
bodies thumping to theground. If you had seen one you might not be so frightened. We
arrived just in time to see the grand ceremony of insultingthe losers.
Today I follow the beach, first eastward, then
gradually to the south.
Araipu and I had expected to rough it in the South
Seas, but the villagershad thought differently.
Within thirty minutes we had nosed thecanoes bow
into the beach of the far islet.
Presently the people returned to their village, two
hundred paces away, butAraipu held me back.
I have nearly finished the circuit of the main
islet.
The trunks must be tenfeet around, and theres not a
limb till you get fifty feet up. Eachopen-sided hut had a sleeping platform raised a
foot or two off the ground. Did I tellyou that the sun was the God of
Abraham?
Better come along with us, I suggested ironically.
How do they get up the straight, slippery trees?
I should have understood this at once, but for some
reason my pride washurt. There is William theHeathen folded on my woodbox, his head
between his bony knees.
I could see the copra makers huts lit up fitfully
by tiny fires.
First-Bom grasped my arm, pulled me close to him,
and pointed upward.
Maybe it would be a good idea to drive some spikes
in the barren ones, Isuggested. Safely across the causeway, I enter the walled
compound of Parson Sea Foam.
We found every last villager awaiting us, and every
one of them in anawkward, expectant attitude.
Pretty soon Araipu found he had lost my
attention.
Ask the frigate birds that roost inthe hernandia
trees .
Ropati says there are mosquitoes on Frigate Bird
Islet!
Abraham could commandthe east wind, Blow from the
north!
And so we did, Araipu betimes giving me some
further details concerningJosephs brethren. He was a foolish heathen like that
oldfellow William! Turning his head,he saw Strange-Eyes in a lather of
soapsuds.
When our sail wasset and we had moved a few yards
from the beach there was a greatscreaming ashore.
Safely across the causeway, I enter the walled
compound of Parson Sea Foam.
The flashing fires, whichusually hurt my eyes, now
had a lulling effect.
Im fed up with sanctimonious residentagents,
village smells, noise, heat. It reminds me of apair of darling old maids who lived
near our ranch in the foothills ofCalifornia.